2023 had highest number of drug-poisoning deaths of any June on record: Alberta Health data
Newly released data from Alberta's health ministry shows that 161 people died from drug poisonings in June of this year — the highest number of deaths of any June on record and up by 39 deaths compared to the same month last year.
When comparing deaths in the first six months of the year, 2023 has had the most with 990, while last year had the second highest total with 894. That is a 11 per cent increase.
There were five fewer deaths in June compared to May, which had 166 deaths.
The highest months on record were November 2021 and April 2023, which each had 192 deaths.
The year with the most deaths on record in Alberta was 2021 with 1,864.
WHICH DEMOGRAPHICS?
Of the 990 deaths in the first six months of 2023, 68 per cent of them were males and 32 per cent females.
The age group most affected were those in the 35-39 range, accounting for 175 of the deaths, followed by those aged 30-34 with 156 deaths.
- Police in Edmonton, Red Deer find increased use of animal tranquilizer in local drug supplies
- More than 1,600 Albertans died from drug-poisoning deaths in 2022: provincial data
- Alberta hits record number of opioid-related EMS calls, half of them in Edmonton
WHICH SUBSTANCES?
Of the 161 deaths in June, only three per cent did not involve opioids.
According to the Alberta substance use surveillance system, when looking at this year's mortality data on 364 deaths, 78 per cent involved fentanyl, 58 per cent involved methamphetamine, 16 per cent had cocaine, and 13 per cent had carfentanil present.
The data suggests that, compared to last year, the presence of methamphetamine and fentanyl are quite similar, while cocaine is down by eight per cent and carfentanil is down by 13 per cent. It is important to note that these values will change throughout the year as more mortality data is added.
WHERE IS IT HAPPENING?
Forty-two per cent of the deaths in June occurred in Calgary, 30 per cent in Edmonton, and the remainder throughout the rest of Alberta.
The majority of opioid-poisoning deaths in the Edmonton Zone occurred in the person's own residence, accounting for 44 per cent in Q2 of 2023. That number went down by eight per cent when compared to the same quarter of 2022.
Thirty-five per cent of deaths in the Edmonton Zone occurred in public places, which is up 11 per cent compared to the same quarter last year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Blaine Higgs 'furious' over sexual education presentation
New Brunswick Premier Blaine Higgs has shared his anger on social media over a presentation in at least four high schools.
Grayson Murray's parents say the two-time PGA Tour winner died of suicide
Grayson Murray's parents said Sunday their 30-year-old son took his own life, just one day after he withdrew from a PGA Tour event.
The dreams of a 60-year-old beauty contestant come to an abrupt end in Argentina
A 60-year-old woman saw her dreams of becoming the oldest Miss Universe contestant in history melt away in a haze of sequins and selfies Saturday at Argentina’s annual beauty pageant.
At least 15 dead after severe weather carves path of ruin across multiple U.S. states in the South
Powerful storms killed at least 15 people and left a wide trail of destruction Sunday across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas during the latest deadly weather to strike the central U.S.
2 died in plane crash near Squamish, B.C., police confirm
Two people died after a plane went down in a remote area near Squamish, B.C. on Friday, authorities have confirmed.
Driver, 18, gets $3,000 ticket, 32 demerit points after speeding on Laval boulevard
A young driver received a hefty fine from Laval police after they say he was driving nearly 100 km/h over the posted speed limit.
After more than 100 years, Newfoundland's unknown soldier returns home
An unknown Newfoundland soldier, who fought and died on the battlefields in northeastern France during the First World War, is back home this weekend for the first time in more than a hundred years.
Some birds may use 'mental time travel,' study finds
Real quick — what did you have for lunch yesterday? Were you with anyone? Where were you? Can you picture the scene? The ability to remember things that happened to you in the past, especially to go back and recall little incidental details, is a hallmark of what psychologists call episodic memory — and new research indicates that it’s an ability humans may share with birds called Eurasian jays.
Trump confronts repeated boos during raucous Libertarian convention speech
Donald Trump was booed repeatedly while addressing Saturday night’s Libertarian Party National Convention.